Startup Lawyers for Toledo, Ohio

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Meet some of our Toledo Startup Lawyers

Christopher R. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Christopher
5.0 (1)
Member Since:
December 7, 2021

Christopher R.

Partner
Free Consultation
Ohio
10 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH FL
Capital University Law School

Trusted business and intellectual property attorney for small to midsize businesses.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Chris was knowledgable, fast and easy to work with. He created a custom Terms of Service document and Privacy Policy for an internet-based business."

Paul S. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Paul
5.0 (18)
Member Since:
August 4, 2020

Paul S.

CEO
Free Consultation
Cincinnati, OH
40 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH CA
Boston University

I focus my practice on startups and small to mid-size businesses, because they have unique needs that mid-size and large law firms aren't well-equipped to service. In addition to practicing law, I have started and run other businesses, and have an MBA in marketing from Indiana University. I combine my business experience with my legal expertise, to provide practical advice to my clients. I am licensed in Ohio and California, and I leverage the latest in technology to provide top quality legal services to a nationwide client-base. This enables me to serve my clients in a cost-effective manner that doesn't skimp on personal service.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Was my great pleasure working with Paul. He is very knowledgeable about startups/companies, professional, wise, and supportive. I would highly recommend him."

Matthew R. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Matthew
5.0 (2)
Member Since:
November 6, 2020

Matthew R.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Denver, Colorado
19 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH CO
Case Western Reserve University

I am an attorney located in Denver, Colorado with 13 years of experience working with individuals and businesses of all sizes. My primary areas of practice are general corporate/business law, real estate, commercial transactions and agreements, and M&A. I strive to provide exceptional representation at a reasonable price.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Matthew was incredibly fast with his communication and work. Thank you for the help."

Melissa G. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Melissa
5.0 (1)
Member Since:
August 5, 2021

Melissa G.

Managing Attorney
Free Consultation
Chicago
22 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH DC, IL, MI
University of Michigan

I provide practical, plain-English legal guidance to solopreneurs and small businesses who want to build strong foundations and make informed decisions with confidence. With 20+ years of experience—including 16 years in-house advising senior and executive leaders—I bring the insight of a trusted legal partner who understands how legal strategy supports long-term business growth. My clients walk away feeling supported, seen, and empowered. They know I genuinely care about their success and bring more than just legal knowledge—I bring a coach’s mindset, a problem-solver’s lens, and a commitment to helping them protect what they’ve worked hard to build. Whether you’re reviewing contracts, forming your business, protecting your brand, or need ongoing legal support, I’m here to deliver clear, actionable guidance and solutions that fit your business.

Cory B. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Cory
5.0 (1)
Member Since:
November 29, 2021

Cory B.

Attorney-at-Law
Free Consultation
Bellaire, OH
10 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH
Duquesne University School of Law

Attorney Cory Barack specializes in business, real estate, probate, and energy law. He can help you with oil/gas leases, easements, property sales, drafting contracts and wills, setting up companies, and resolving disputes. He is licensed to practice law in Ohio and is located in Eastern Ohio.

Jeffrey K. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Jeffrey
5.0 (1)
Member Since:
January 11, 2023

Jeffrey K.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Toledo, Ohio
30 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH
Chicago-Kent College of Law

I've been a Real Estate attorney for over 25 years. I handle real estate transactions, commercial collections, foreclosures, replevins, landlord tenant issues and small business matter.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Jeff is a great attorney to work with. Very responsive and excellent attention to detail. Excellent quality of work with actionable next steps and insightful suggestions for consideration."

Tim E. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Tim
4.8 (64)
Member Since:
August 12, 2020

Tim E.

Founding Member/Attorney
Free Consultation
Cleveland, OH
12 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH
Cleveland State University College of Law

I am a business attorney focused on providing practical, targeted legal services for small businesses, startups, contractors, consultants, and service providers. I help clients efficiently review, draft, and improve everyday business contracts, including service agreements, NDAs, independent contractor agreements, vendor contracts, commercial leases, and purchase documents. My approach is straightforward: identify the terms that matter, explain risks in plain English, and deliver clear, usable edits or drafts without unnecessary complexity. I regularly handle fixed-fee, quick-turnaround projects such as contract reviews, agreement drafting, and demand or termination letters. While I offer streamlined, project-based services for routine matters, I can also assist with broader business legal needs as they arise.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
5.0

"Tim was excellent! I gave him project details (liability waiver and rental agreement) and what I needed and he produced the day he said he would with ZERO revisions needed. Highly recommend."

Drew B. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Drew
4.6 (10)
Member Since:
July 1, 2021

Drew B.

Managing Member
Cleveland, Ohio
28 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH MO
Saint Louis University

Drew is an entrepreneurial business attorney with over twenty years of corporate, compliance and litigation experience. Drew currently has his own firm where he focuses on providing outsourced general counsel and compliance services (including mergers & acquisitions, collections, capital raising, real estate, business litigation, commercial contracts and employment matters). Drew has deep experience counseling clients in healthcare, medical device, pharmaceuticals, information technology, manufacturing, and services.

Recent  ContractsCounsel Client  Review:
4.7

"Hired for a settlement contract to be written out in legal manner. Ammended contract as well to add clauses that we had not written.Efficient, professional. Said the time-frame would be about 4 business days and he did deliver on that in fact worked through the weekend and mlk day. Offered one final revision as well as a call to finalize language of contract. The final document delivery was more than we expand also he went above and beyond to deliver extra documents we may need. Would highly recommend."

Elizabeth R. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Elizabeth
Member Since:
January 20, 2021

Elizabeth R.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Columbus, Ohio
15 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH FL
Florida International University School of Law

Elizabeth is an experienced attorney with a demonstrated history of handling transactional legal matters for a wide range of small businesses and entrepreneurs, with a distinct understanding of dental and medical practices. Elizabeth also earned a BBA in Accounting, giving her unique perspective about the financial considerations her clients encounter regularly while navigating the legal and business environments. Elizabeth is highly responsive, personable and has great attention to detail. She is also fluent in Spanish.

Robert D. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Robert
Member Since:
May 12, 2021

Robert D.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Ohio
28 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH
University of Akron School of Law

I am a general practice lawyer with 21 years of experience handling a wide variety of cases, both civil and criminal

Patrycja S. - Startup Lawyer in Toledo, Ohio
View Patrycja
Member Since:
March 29, 2022

Patrycja S.

Attorney
Free Consultation
Cleveland, OH, United States
6 Yrs Experience
Licensed in OH
Cleveland Marshall College of Law

Freelance attorney helping others beat overflow work by assisting with legal research, legal drafting, discovery, litigation support and client relations.

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Startup Legal Questions and Answers

Startup

Shareholders Agreement

Ohio

Asked on Jun 12, 2023

How to track shareholders agreements?

I am a business owner and I have recently incorporated my business. As part of the incorporation process, I have created a shareholders agreement with my co-founders. I am looking to ensure that this agreement is properly tracked, documented, and monitored over time. I am seeking guidance on the best methods to track shareholders agreements and any advice on how to ensure the agreement is being followed.

Paul S.

Answered Jun 23, 2023

There are cap table management companies such as Carta and Pulley, that can help with this (for a fee). As long as your company has only issued common stock, maintaining a cap table and stock ledger in Excel is more than adequate. I also recommend storing PDFs of the stock purchase agreements in a cloud-based folder labeled "Stock Purchase Agreements." In terms of officer roles, the corporation's Secretary is responsible for maintaining these shareholder records.

Read 1 attorney answer>

Startup

Convertible Note

Ohio

Asked on Jul 6, 2023

Can a convertible note be transferred?

I am a startup founder and I am considering using a convertible note to raise capital. I am aware that convertible notes are agreements between investors and startups, but I'm not sure if they can be transferred to other investors. I need to know if this is possible so that I can make an informed decision about the best way to raise capital for my business.

Paul S.

Answered Aug 4, 2023

It depends on the terms of the convertible note. If you don't want it to be transferable, then you should include a provision in the note prohibiting transfers, assignments, etc.

Read 1 attorney answer>

Startup

C Corp

Ohio

Asked on May 22, 2023

C corp and equity dilution?

I am an entrepreneur who is in the process of forming a C Corp. I am looking to raise capital to fund my business and I am considering issuing equity to potential investors. I am concerned that issuing equity to investors could lead to dilution of my ownership, so I am looking for legal advice on the best way to structure my equity offerings to minimize dilution.

Paul S.

Answered Jun 23, 2023

If you want to avoid dilution, then you need to fund the business with your own resources, and pay all your workers with money rather than equity. Otherwise, when building a business, dilution is simply a reality you have to live with. You can start out with a large amount of ownership, for example, 80% of the authorized shares, but over time dilution is inevitable. Which would you rather have, 90% of a company worth $200,000, or 55% of a company worth $1 million?

Read 1 attorney answer>

Startup

Convertible Note

Ohio

Asked on May 20, 2023

Convertible note interest rate?

I am a tech startup founder and am considering raising capital through a convertible note. I am interested in finding out what the typical interest rate is for these types of investments. I understand that the rate can vary, but I am looking for a general range of what I can expect.

Paul S.

Answered May 23, 2023

Generally the rate is pretty low - for example, 5% is what I've used over the years, with little pushback. Keep in mind, investors don't do convertible notes for the interest income, they do them for the upside from converting into preferred stock with liquidation preferences, anti-dilution protection, etc. If a potential investor is really focused on the interest rate, that tells you that the investor has little or no experience investing in startups. Also, regarding the interest in general, it typically just accrues, rather than being paid out each year. When interest accrues for more than a year, the startup can claim the amount of accrued interest as an expense on its P&L and taxes, and the investor should recognize the amount of accrued interest as interest income, even if it hasn't been paid out.

Read 1 attorney answer>

Startup

New York

Asked on Mar 30, 2021

Once my options have vested for the startup I am working for, can I sell them?

I am an early employee for a startup that has raised money in the past year. I will have some of my options vested soon and wanted to know if I was able to sell them.

Ramsey T.

Answered Mar 30, 2021

It depends upon when you vest and whether or not you have a "market" for the shares. You must satisfy a holding requirement for your vested shares under US securities laws that requires that you hold your shares for at least one (1) year. The vesting period is added in - so, for example, if you vested in your options six months after receiving them and then exercised your options and tried to sell your shares, you would be in violation of US securities laws. After a one year holding period you may sell them. You might, however, have restrictions, such as a "Right of First Refusal" (a "ROFR") or other restrictions on selling your shares. Its worth checking all the documents and restrictions.

Read 1 attorney answer>
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